In August 2010, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill White cited state budget figures to show that overall state spending had increased 79 percent with Perry as governor, from nearly $101.8 billion in 2000-01 to almost $182.2 billion in 2010-11.

At the time we took up the pro-Bachmann group’s claim, an updated spending tabulation indicated the increase had been 86 percent.

However, we recognized that this percentage was both unadjusted for inflation and population increases and that it reflected spending from all sources, including federal aid. Taking into account inflation and population growth, the increase was 21 percent over the period. And budgeted expenditures drawing on state general revenue -- the kind most swayed by a governor -- increased 44 percent without adjustments, but decreased 6 percent once inflation and population growth are weighed.

We did not hear back from Bachmann on the basis of her debate claim.

Our sense is that Bachmann’s assessment of "over 50 percent" misstates overall spending on Perry’s watch, especially because it doesn’t appear to include any accounting for the state’s growth or inflation. The claim also overstates the raw increase in general-revenue spending, the kind that Perry had the most control over.

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